Montemurlo Mayor Calamai Meets Representatives of the Corertex Consortium: Collaboration Begins
December 20, 2020There were about fifty reuse companies, nearly all those in the Prato district, present at the first meeting explaining the activities of Corertex, the Consortium for Textile Reuse and Recycling. Initiated by eight founding members (Euroclothing, Abf International, Comistra, Francioni, Suatex, Drd, Prema, and Gemar & Sons), the consortium now seeks to expand its participatory base, inviting all ethical and compliant companies in the district to join.
The first meeting was decidedly positive. All the entrepreneurs present immediately understood the need to sit at technical and political tables where rules for the future of the reuse sector will be written. Many immediately asked to join the consortium, which will have a board of directors consisting of eleven people.
The Consortium Expands
“We already have about twenty companies ready to join the consortium following the first explanatory meeting,” explains Raffaello De Salvo, president of Corertex. “And many others have expressed interest in joining the project soon. Entrepreneurs immediately grasped the message that unity is strength, and I must say there was great focus on the future and strengthening the sector within the district. Our goal is to bring together at least most of the companies in the area, thus ensuring Prato has decisive weight at the national level in drafting the sector’s rules, favoring, not penalizing, reuse and recycling companies.”.
The consortium’s next step will be to convene a similar meeting for the recycling world, relying on the experience brought forward over the years by the Astri association, whose president Fabrizio Tesi is one of Corertex’s founders.
“We need to look forward,” says Tesi. “Rules for the sector have not yet been written, but much is likely to change soon. Therefore, standing united will be necessary and crucial, also considering the wealth of expertise we can offer legislators. Having both reuse and recycling within a single consortium will undoubtedly make it more appealing to all those who need to address the end-of-life issue for clothing and post-consumption. As with Astri, we’ve reached Europe to discuss the circular economy and the needs of the Prato district, and we aim to do the same with Corertex, which can provide significant momentum for both sectors.”
Once the process within the Prato district is completed, Corertex will start looking around and dialoguing with reuse and recycling companies throughout Italy.
Some were already present at the first meeting in Prato. And there are already ongoing contacts with Campania, Emilia Romagna, and some entities in Northern Italy.
“The start was very positive, confirming the necessity of this consortium,” concludes Fabio Marseo, vice-president of Corertex.
“Our model is viewed with great interest and favor outside of Tuscany as well. We’ve already received calls for clarification and information from companies in other regions. There’s also been excitement in academia, with a university delegation coming to explore our model. We can’t wait to get to work, turning all these ideas into something concrete and effective.”
